PREMIERSHIP IS BACK ON TRACK

HOW CLUBS ARE LOOKING AS RUGBY RETURNS

ALEX SPINK gives the lowdown on each Gallagher Premiership team with the season set to restart tomorrow when Harlequins take on Sale with nine rounds remaining before the play-offs. BATH

Bath have recruited England scrum-half

Ben Spencer to replace Chris Cook, as well as Leicester lock Will Spencer, and are sixth in the league. They will doubtless back themselves to make the play-offs but remain infuriatingly inconsistent given the depth of talent at their disposal.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Moderate.

LAST MATCH: Lost 20-57 Exeter (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Ben Spencer, Will Spencer.

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: STUART HOOPER

BRISTOL

Third in Premiership, seven points off leaders Exeter, Bristol have added

England prop Kyle Sinckler and Fiji midfield magician Semi Radradra to their starstudded squad during lockdown and play Chiefs and second-placed Sale in two of their first four games. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High.

LAST MATCH: Won Harlequins 28-15 (Mar 8). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Sinckler, Radradra, Ben Earl (season-long loan).

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: PAT LAM

EXETER

Top of the table and bidding for a fifth straight Premiership final, Chiefs are undoubtedly the team to beat. However, playing second and third – Sale and Bristol – in two of their first three games back means there is no room for complacency.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High.

LAST MATCH: Won 57-20 Bath (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Jonny Gray,

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Josh Hodge.

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: ROB BAXTER

GLOUCESTER

All change at Kingsholm where rookie head coach George Skivington has taken charge with a new backroom team hoping to arrest the team’s slide from semi-finalists last season to ninth placed also-rans. Return of England star Jonny May is guaranteed to raise morale. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Low.

LAST MATCH: Lost 22-39 Wasps (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Jonny May, Matt Garvey, Logovi’i Mulipola.

HEAD COACH: GEORGE SKIVINGTON

HARLEQUINS

Being seven points off a top-four play-off place, Quins have a decent shot at the post-season. But they need consistency and they haven’t had that for a good while. Chris Ashton has arrived to replace lost firepower of Agen-bound Gaby Ibitoye. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Moderate.

LAST MATCH: Lost 15-28 Bristol (Mar 8). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Ashton, Andre Esterhuizen, Wilco Louw, Joe Gray.

HEAD OF RUGBY: PAUL GUSTARD

LEICESTER

Steve Borthwick has left the England set-up to take charge of Tigers and Eddie Jones’s long-time chief lieutenant has a job on his hands. England’s biggest club have been in freefall for a while and are one place off bottom of the table. The loss of Manu Tuilagi won’t help. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None.

LAST MATCH: Lost 13-24 Saracens (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Zach Henry, Nemani Nadolo, Matt Scott.

HEAD COACH: STEVE BORTHWICK

LONDON IRISH

The Exiles are eighth in the table and currently without a ground, but the recruitment of Argentina hooker Agustin Creevy and 100-cap Australia lock Rob Simmons has put a spring in their step ahead of the club’s return to London to share Brentford FC’s new stadium next season.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Low.

LAST MATCH: Lost 0-39 Sale (Mar 6). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Creevy, Simmons, Sean O’Brien.

HEAD COACH: LES KISS

NORTHAMPTON

With three of their final four games against the clubs above them (Exeter,

Sale and Bristol), fourth-placed Saints will have a big say in how this season pans out. They have lost the influential scrum-half Cobus Reinach but snapped up on loan England forward Nick Isiekwe from Saracens.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High.

LAST MATCH: Won 16-10 Worcester (Mar 6). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Isiekwe (loan).

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: CHRIS BOYD

SALE

The arrival of Manu Tuilagi has secondplaced Sale bouncing ahead of tomorrow night’s resumption at Quins. With Tom

Curry and World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager already in situ, Sharks have the firepower and play Exeter and Bristol in two of their first three outings.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High.

LAST MATCH: Won 39-0 London Irish (Mar 6). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Tuilagi, Sam Hill.

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: STEVE DIAMOND

SARACENS

The champions share the best win-loss record this season so far with Exeter but while Chiefs are top the Londoners are bottom, condemned to relegation for salary cap breaches. A number of players have left the club but their A-listers remain, ensuring no side will fancy playing them.

PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None.

LAST MATCH: Won 24-13 Leicester (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: None.

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: MARK McCALL

WASPS

Four wins from five before lockdown have thrust fifth-placed Wasps firmly into the play-off mix and, despite loss of Nizaam Carr and Ashley Johnson, new boss Lee Blackett has kept his England stars at the club with new deals for Joe Launchbury, Dan Robson, Brad Shields and Jack Willis. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High.

LAST MATCH: Won 39-22 Gloucester (Mar 7). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: None.

HEAD COACH: LEE BLACKETT

WORCESTER

With only four league wins before lockdown and Saracens already condemned to relegation, 10th placed Worcester have little to play for but new captain

Ted Hill will demand better. The progress made by Michael Fatialofa in recovering from a serious neck injury has been their best news story. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None.

LAST MATCH: Lost 10-16 Northampton (Mar 6). NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Matt Kvesic, Billy Searle.

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY: ALAN SOLOMONS